Clik | Edition 44 | February 2025.
We are delighted to connect with you through live events at physical spaces, via hybrid modes or virtually at the click of a button! We invite you to join us, whenever you are ready, or from wherever you are, on myriad creative journeys, where with valued partners in India and in Korea, we explore new pathways and experiences, the magic of live performances and exhibitions or engage with those newly imagined from creation to reception and distribution on digital platforms. In this edition, as we open our cultural calendar, through a combination of phygital presentations, we invite you to evocative journeys and sensory experiences that though moored in local culture, connect and resonate with audiences worldwide!
We hope, with this e-digest, to stay meaningfully connected with you, to discover and engage with the unique, local characteristics as well as the shared, global dimensions of the dynamic, ongoing intercultural dialogue between India and Korea.
Commissioned and presented by
With support from
In association with
Limits of Change is a compelling piece of storytelling and theatre that unfolds within the immersive space of an art installation.
At its heart lies the personal arc of Curator P and her absent father, General N. This personal narrative is juxtaposed with the broader historical context of the Korean War, particularly the problematic Prisoners of War (POW) issue. A 6000-member Custodian Force, India (CFI), tasked to resolve this issue, sailed from Chennai to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Korea in 1953.
Through stories which mix autobiographical and geo-political realities, a vital but forgotten aspect of Indo-Korean history is unveiled. The Limits of Change experience speaks of a specific moment in time but also of the continuing relevance, perhaps now more than ever, of the power of forgiveness, the importance of peace and the transformative role of artistic endeavour as a conduit of hope.
Here’s a trailer made by filmmaker Saravanakumar- https://youtu.be/kja_pYSc5i0
Commissioned and presented by: InKo Centre
Concept and Script by: Parvathi Nayar and Nayantara Nayar
Directed by: Yog Japee
Art Curation and Texts by: Parvathi Nayar
Art Installation by: Students and Faculty of Stella Maris College, Dot School of Design and American International School and teams
from The Architecture Story; The Hashtag # Collective; Forms and Gears
Graphic Design by: Sindhura Vannamamalai Sowmithri
Paper Sculpting by: Roopika Sood
Cinematography by: CP Satyajit
Voice over for videos by: Yog Japee
Video Editing by: Peer Varma
Lighting Design by: Jeonghee Kang
Music by: Sanare
Text Editing by: Studio RDA
InKo Centre, the Indo-Korean Cultural & Information Centre, was set up in May 2006 with the specific aim to extend the intercultural dialogue between India and South Korea. InKo Centre was opened by HE Ambassador Choi Jung-il, Former Ambassador from the Republic of Korea to India. The Centre commenced full-fledged operations in November 2006 with a cohesive programme that covers language studies; wellness programmes, performing and visual arts programmes and information provision. InKo Centre is a registered, non-profit society supported primarily by TVS Motor Company Limited and Hyundai Motor India Limited; the Korean Association in Chennai and a host of Indian and Korean companies based in Chennai. The Centre works in close co-operation with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, New Delhi, The Korean Cultural Centre. New Delhi and the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea, Chennai. Mr Venu Srinivasan who is the Chairman of InKo Centre has been highly feted by the Government of Korea with the most recent titles being Honorary Citizen of Busan and Goodwill Envoy for Public Diplomacy of the Republic of Korea. The Indo - Korean Cultural and Information Centre is a Registered Society.
In 2015, InKo Centre re-located to new premises, with enhanced facilities. The facilities at the new premises in Chennai, include a cafe, a gallery, a craft shop and a studio, providing an organic, integrated approach that reinforces our belief that cultural exchange is primarily a nuanced, sensorial experience.
Through the access points of language, culture and information, we have consistently presented a cohesive programme that drawing on the rich traditions of both countries, showcases not just the local and the national characteristics of each country but also the global dimensions of such exchange. Since 2006, we have presented whole series of programmes covering the gamut of language studies, performing and visual arts as well wellness programmes such as yoga, taekwondo and calligraphy. Our programmes and services aim to link key Indian and Korean artists and organisations in a meaningful and sustainable manner.
Apart from events presented at our Centre in Chennai, InKo Centre also periodically presents large scale events at external venues, across India, in collaboration with relevant partners in India and with support from partner organisations in Korea. These events cover the performing arts- theatre, film, music, dance as well as the visual arts- painting, sculpture, ceramics, craft etc. All such events contribute to our stated objective of examining the local as well as the global characteristics that underpin and deepen the intercultural dialogue between India and South Korea.
Parvathi Nayar, is a Chennai-based multidisciplinary artist and writer, known for her complex drawing practices, installations, mixed media work and video art. Her work emphasises sustainability, delving into climate change and ecological issues; water, in all its aspects, is a consistent theme.
Notable solo exhibitions include "Atlas of Re-Imaginings" and “Drawing is a Verb” while her installations, such as "Dreamcatcher", “Ocean’s Breath”, "Chicken Run," and “WAVE” engage with public spaces and diverse mediums. Parvathi curated the award-winning permanent show The Living Ocean, at the Dakshinachitra Museum (2024). She is a founder-member of The Hashtag #Collective.
Parvathi's global presence in biennales including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale and Chennai Photo Biennale3 and prestigious group shows; her films such as “Seaspeaker” and “By the Mouth of the River’ being featured in international festivals; and her contributions as a writer, underscore her multifaceted artistic career.
She completed her Masters in Fine Art from Central St Martins, London, on a Chevening scholarship, and has
received acclaim for her impactful TEDx talks.
For more informations:
www.parvathinayar.com
https://www.facebook.com/parvathinayarart
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parvathi_Nayar
Instagram: artistparvathinayar Twitter: @NayarParvathi
Nayantara Nayar is a playwright, researcher, and storyteller from Chennai, India. Her research interests include memory, urban spaces, and ecological crises. She is a CHASE funded PhD researcher at University of East Anglia where she studies water crisis and the potential of theatre practices to foster different water-related imaginaries. As a part of her research, she is studying three different playscripts by Indian authors written in the last fifty years, and also writing three plays that are in response to the texts she is studying and the larger body of research she is undertaking.
Her body of work as a playwright includes, the visual art + performance project Limits of Change (Co-Creator, Chennai Photo Biennale, 2024-25); Lost Waters (Green Theatre Revolution, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2024); Curfew (Rage Theatre and Lyric Theatre Belfast, 2022-23); The Sometimes River (Parag, 2023); Chicken Run (Co-Creator, Chennai Photo Biennale, 2021-22); and The Body (New Writing Festival, Rage Theatre and Enacte Theatre).
Yog Japee is an actor, director, educator, applied arts practitioner and a Chevening Clore Fellow. His focuses on public engagement in the arts for social change. As an arts practitioner with over 20 years of experience, he has worked towards integrating arts interventions into education, health & development programmes.
Yog is particularly passionate about bringing together diverse art forms to tell stories. He believes that theatre and storytelling is universal, and strives towards enacting performances in non-traditional, non-proscenium spaces.
He loves finding narratives in stories, He believes that,
“every story is a resting-face-reticent, Onion!“.
He welcomes you to make your own story and narrative about that.
Sindhura VS is an architect and urban designer with a keen interest in storytelling through the lens of design. Recently branching into exhibition and graphic design, she is passionate about creating immersive experiences that communicate powerful narratives. Sindhura thrives on the challenge of building temporary installations, finding excitement in crafting spaces that are both evocative and transitory. Her work is deeply rooted in subjects that involve cities and advocacy, environmental impact, gender theories, and the exploration of historical archives. She hopes to create dialogue, using visual elements that transcends both cultural as well as social landscapes.
Roopika Sood While Roopika studied commerce and MBA, she really and truly learnt about herself, on-the-job as a teacher of English, Hindi, Origami and Theatre, for a decade in Krishnamurti boarding schools and as a visiting faculty and trainer for Design-based workshops, 8 years thereafter. Over the last 15 years, she has conducted Design Thinking workshops using Paper Engineering for schools, colleges and corporates across the country. She thrives on watching people find their 'aha-moment' while learning. She runs her online Origami academy, 'Hands On Paper', a first in India and continues to practice as an origami artist and educator. As a Professor at Flame University, Pune, she conducts the hands-on design course called "Learning by Doing" - a name that summarises her motto, ambition and ikigai in life.
Satyajit, a professional photographer based in Chennai, India, has been in this field since 1998 as a freelancer. Graduated from Loyola College in 1996 in Visual Communication, he was subsequently trained under Iqbal Mohammed [Renowned Advertising and Automotive Photographer and Director Light & Life Academy] for over two years. Satyajit has been engaged for the last decade in ‘advertising related’ photography, architecture, interiors, fashion, food, and a variety of other FMCG products.
Passionately involved with Automobile photography, he has been engaged in several launch campaigns in this sector. Has had the distinction of being the first Indian photographer to design and shoot with a motion rig for Automobiles. As an ‘Aviation Photographer’, participated in an International Research Project on Air Safety. His affinity for the ‘outdoors’, deriving inspiration from the ever changing quality of light, the intensity and magical quality of nature, that can impact people in different ways, his outlook on life, has made Satyajit view photography as an art form, thus making his work so unique!
Peer Varma is a creative consultant with expertise in storytelling, video production, and editing. He specializes in crafting meaningful narratives in the realms of art, culture, and education. Known for his innovative approach, Peer brings stories to life with impactful visuals and compelling content that resonate with diverse audiences.
Jeonghee Kang graduated from the Korea National University of Arts in 2002 and has been working as a stage lighting designer in the performing arts sector to provide the critical lighting component for music, dance and drama productions. She has worked as a freelance lighting designer to critical acclaim on several productions in Korea and on specially commissioned projects or projects supported by InKo Centre, India.
For Jeonghee, light is a tool to store memories and a channel to communicate with the world. She is therefore interested in light as an object that can communicate with the world more actively beyond merely its natural function to illuminate objects.
Sanare is a music group from South Korea who harmoniously blend traditional Korean and Western instruments to create music that appeals with its variety and timbre. The instrumentation includes the gayageum, daegeum, violin, cello and piano. Sanare, meaning ‘Angel’s wing’ in Korean, presents music that heals and restores hope.
Stella Maris College (Autonomous), Chennai has been empowering young women through higher education since 1947. What began as a modest building in Santhome, Mylapore, established by the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, has grown into a renowned and respected college. Today, it offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in arts, science, commerce, and more.
The college is one of the few institutions of higher education in Chennai with a dedicated Fine Arts department. Established in 1948 by Dr. Sr. Edith Tömöry, the Department of Fine Arts fosters creativity, skill, ethical values, and social awareness in its students through a rigorous art education. What began as a course in Art History has evolved over the years, undergoing several restructurings, and now offers a four-year Bachelor of Visual Arts (B.V.A.) degree with specialisation in art or design. In addition, the department also offers a comprehensive two-year M.A. degree programme in Fine Arts.
The department is a vibrant space on campus, where passion, creativity, and imagination flourish by challenging boundaries and encouraging students to discover their unique artistic paths.
DOT School of Design stands as a vibrant hub for fostering creativity and shaping future leaders in the field of design. With its multidisciplinary approach, the institution strives to bridge the gap between academia and industry, offering students a well-rounded education that combines practical expertise with cultural and social awareness.
At DOT, education extends beyond classrooms and workshops. Outreach initiatives are a cornerstone of the institution’s vision, aimed at creating a global platform for design education. Through partnerships with organizations like Inko Centre, DOT actively collaborates to promote cultural exchange and broaden its educational impact internationally. These collaborations facilitate workshops, residency programs and joint projects, enabling students and faculty to engage with diverse design perspectives and practices from across the globe.
The institution’s emphasis on outreach reflects its mission to inspire design thinking and create a community of socially responsible creative professionals. By expanding its educational reach, DOT is shaping a future where design education is inclusive, innovative, and accessible to aspiring designers worldwide.
DOT’s efforts continue to position it as not just a center for learning but as a catalyst for global design dialogue, ensuring that its students are well-equipped to navigate and contribute to the evolving landscape of the design industry.
The American International School Chennai (AISC) was established in 1995 through a bilateral agreement between the Governments of the United States of America and India. Our charge since our founding has been to strive to provide excellent instruction, programs, and facilities for children of American and international parents on expatriate assignments in Chennai.
Our founding ideals are based on developing within our students a deep and meaningful awareness and understanding of culture and the diversity of cultures around the world; to embrace India, Tamil Nadu, and Chennai so that our students appreciate, know, and interact with the historical, social, and cultural context within which we all live here in historical Madras; and to serve as a demonstration center of U.S. educational methods and practices.
The Hashtag#Collective consists of Parvathi Nayar, Saira Biju, Biju Kuriakose and Abin Chaudhuri who came to-gether to create this as a platform for exploring multi-disciplinary interventions, provisional propositions and site-specific installations at different sites with public footfall. The four collaborators, based out of Chennai and Kolkata, have strong creative practices and between them have had permanent and temporary art works installed at different venues ranging from Chennai’s Marina Beach to Fort Kochi in Kerala.
The Hashtag#Collective’s installations in public spaces include Reflecting (on) the Inhabited Crossroads (Fort Kochi), Transitional Boundaries (Chennai) and Genderfluid (Fort Kochi); solos include Of Disappearance and Desire (Fort Kochi); group shows include Chitram (Delhi and Hyderabad); commissioned works include Reef, Ocean Forest and Hope is the Thing with Feathers (Dakshinachitra Museum); web-based work includes Voices, an online series of conversations between artists and curators moderated by the Collective. The Collective’s aim is to maximize the synergies of collaboration to create greater public engagement with art and the issues of our times, through creative interventions.
The Architecture Story (TAS) is a design studio dedicated to spatial storytelling. Founded by Deepak Jawahar and Justine De Penning, TAS is an interdisciplinary practice working at the intersection of design and contemporary culture. They create contextualized social experiences in buildings, spaces and objects.
Forms and Gears is one of India's oldest Fixture building companies designing and manufacturing high precision fixtures to clients in 10 countries across the world, for over 53 years.
In 2023 Forms and Gears started collaborating with the eminent visual artist Parvathi Nayar and their first joint project titled "Ocean's Breath" is now a permanent exhibit at Dakshinachitra. This current project for Inko is their second project together.
Reji Varghese, President of Forms and Gears says, "The intersections between art and engineering are indeed more profound and intertwined than what meets the eye and working with Parvathi has been an eye opener for our entire team. By breaking free from the constraints of rigid categorizations - engineering vs art, form vs function, left vs right brain, creativity vs logic, enables the individual to tap into a vast pool of potential that lies within us."
Aravinth S is a freelance theatre actor based in Chennai. He works across films, commercials, and digital platforms while actively collaborating with various theatre groups in the city. He also explores other skill sets such as voice acting, creating his own conversational shows, and writing. Beyond acting, his interests include impromptu stand-up gigs among friends and crafting alliterative verses that he playfully passes off as poetry. Additionally, he creates customized workshop modules for students and acting professionals.
Venkataraghavan is a writer and actor. His non-fiction book “The Origin Story of India’s States” was published by Penguin in 2021. His short fiction has appeared in The Iowa Review, The Bombay Literary Magazine and Pratham Books. He was awarded the inaugural Neev Fellowship for Children’s Book Creators; his middle grade novel-in-progress is set in the Madras Zoo during World War II. He wrote, directed, produced and performed in “Brachio: The Story of a Lighthouse”, a play for children based on principles of social justice and equity, which premiered in 2023 in Bengaluru. “Brachio” is also forthcoming from HarperCollins as an illustrated chapter book for children.
Sunandha is an actor, playwright & director with over 18 years’ experience in Chennai's English language theatre.
Some of her roles include Annabel in Edgar and Annabel (Guduguduppukkari) Jocasta in Seneca’s Oedipus (Theatre Nisha), Kripi in When Things Fall Apart (JustUs Repertory) Claire in Maids (Theatre Nisha), Paulina in Death & The Maiden (Stagefright Productions), Lee in Motortown (Theatre Nisha), Vera Claythorne in And Then There Were None (Crea-Shakthi). She has directed several plays including Edgar and Annabel (Guduguduppukkari) The Little Mermaid (Theatre Nisha), Macbeth (AMM Matriculation School), Romancing Guy: Maupassant in India (The Debauch Company), Abibhava (Alpha to Omega Learning Centre).
Sunandha co-founded Guduguduppukkari, a female-centric theatre group to stage Mundhirikkotte, written by her as part of The Royal Court’s International Writing Programme. Among her other notable plays are Bad Hindu (Guduguduppukkari), a one woman show that explores identity, Notes to a Young Actor (Theatre Nisha) and several one-act plays & also the screenplay for bi-lingual feature film Irudhi Suttru (Saala Khadoos in Hindi) in 2016 and Soorarai Pottru in 2020.
Sunandha is a Charles Wallace scholar with a Master’s Degree in Text and Performance from RADA and Birkbeck College. She was a member of the 2019 Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. This prestigious residency in New York invites emerging directors from all over the world to the premiere arts institution for 3 weeks to explore, create and collaborate with some of the finest minds in theatre. Sunandha is also trained in Kalaripayattu and Bharatanatyam.
Sukanya Umesh, better known as Suki, is a storyteller, writer, show director, and content creator. With a foundation in Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam dance, her journey into the performing arts was inevitable. Suki has a deep passion for telling stories across various formats and is a strong advocate for fostering reading skills among children and young adults. To her, stories are gateways to understanding different cultures and communities, building meaningful connections between people.
In 2021, Suki served as the digital ambassador for the fREADom app, a digital library of storybooks for children, where she was both the voice and face of the platform. She continues to pursue her vision of making stories and reading accessible and enjoyable by lending her voice to educational apps, conducting year-long reading programs in schools, curating stories for different age groups, and training teachers to incorporate storytelling methodologies into their core curriculum. Her mission is to bridge the gap between accessibility and opportunity through stories presented as live entertainment, videos, films, and audiobooks. Suki is also a published children’s author and playwright and hopes to continue making an impact through her life.
Date: 8-20 February 2025.
Performance timing: 11.30 a.m., 3.30 p.m. and 6.30 p.m.
Venue: Lalit Kala Akademi, Chennai.
Limited seats available. Registration will be on a first-come, first-served basis.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org
Annyeong Station, is a platform in our online infotainment section, for conversation, interaction and exchange. With a focus on Korean popular culture, this online space will periodically present K-lounge curated interactions with industry specialists and influencers.
In the fourth episode of Season 4 of the K-lounge section on Annyeong Station we present an engaging conversation that focuses on the mass appeal of all things Hallyu, its vibrancy and inclusivity as a genre. Our guest Joan MacDonald, is a New York-based writer who covers Korean media, focusing on film, TV dramas, K-pop and the cultural influence of Hallyu or the Korean wave. Joan MacDonald will be in conversation with our moderator, Puja Talwar.
Join us for what promises to be an insightful, sparkling conversation.
Joan MacDonald is a New York-based writer who covers Korean media, focusing on film, TV dramas, sometimes K-pop and the cultural influence of Hallyu or the Korean wave. Previously, she worked as an editor and writer at KpopStarz, a popular Korean media news site and prior to that, in public relations, publishing and with a daily newspaper.
Puja Talwar is the Senior Journalist & Editor with over 28 years experience in Broadcast Journalism. Puja is a Content Creator, Show Host, Moderator and a published Writer. She hosts the popular series 'Candid Conversations With Puja Talwar' on Youtube and a podcast titled ‘Entertainment Unlimited on Spotify. She lives for coffee, travel and K dramas!
Thursday, 13 February 2025 at 5.30 p.m. IST.
To join this conversation, click on https://www.instagram.com/inkocentre/.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.
We invite you to visit The Hanji Story, the Craft Shop @ InKo Centre. Tucked away in a wholly refurbished space, Hanji Story offers Korean hand-crafted gift items, an array of handmade hanji paper and interesting bric-a-brac.
One such unique item is Najeonchilgi (나전칠기)refers to a particular kind of Korean handicraft where various colourful and vibrant pieces of shellfish are inlaid on certain objects. Najeonchilgi combines two craft procedures- the method of lacquering wood and the mother-of-pearl lacquerware.
Associated with wealthy noble families in the early days, the Najeonchilgi technique was used to make stationary chests, smaller dining tables, hairdressing accessory chests, plates and bowls, trays and smaller wardrobes, etc. It is currently applied in the art of making furniture, decorative jewellery boxes, bookmarks, mirrors, combs, several accessories such as, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, brooches, hair accessories, water bottles, phone cases, to name a few.
Visit Hanji Story for a variety of Najeonchilgi products.
Also on offer is a unique Korean Bojagi gift-wrapping counter - paper and silk options with subtle, beautiful finishing touches. You are welcome to bring in your gifts to wrap them in style!
Join us on a sensory journey to experience Korea’s unique craft aesthetic.
Touch, feel and enjoy the gift of harmony and balance.
Open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
For further information, please contact InKo Centre - T: 044 24361224; E: enquiries@inkocentre.org.